A number of protein kinases have already proved to be suitable target molecules for therapeutic intervention in a variety of indications, e.g. cancer and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Since a high percentage of the genes involved in the development of cancer which have been identified thus far encode kinases, these enzymes are attractive target molecules for the therapy of cancer in particular.
Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3-kinases) are a subfamily of the lipid kinases which catalyse the transfer of a phosphate group to the 3′-position of the inositol ring of phosphoinositides.
They play an important role in numerous cell processes such as e.g. cell growth and differentiation processes, the control of cytoskeletal changes and the regulation of intracellular transport processes. On the basis of their in vitro specificity for certain phosphoinositide substrates the PI3-kinases can be divided into different categories.